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Brain Functional Connectome Defines a Transdiagnostic Dimension Shared by Cognitive Function and Psychopathology in Preadolescents

Featured Paper of the Month – March 2024
Published in Biological Psychiatry by Xiang Xiao and Yihong Yang, et al. of the NIDA IRP Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy Section.

Cognitive function and general psychopathology are two important classes of human behavior dimensions that are individually related to mental disorders across diagnostic categories. However, whether these two transdiagnostic dimensions are linked to common or distinct brain networks that convey resilience or risk for the development of psychiatric disorders remains unclear.

Technology Development Initiative – Paper of the Month – February 2024

Investigation of daily patterns for smartphone keystroke dynamics based on loneliness and social isolation. Biomed Eng Lett

The current paper used a custom Android keyboard to study human behavioral patterns linked to loneliness over a five-week period and found distinctive patterns within the severe loneliness group. The study showcases a new digital biomarker to decode mental health conditions.
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Alkoxy chain length governs the potency of 2-benzylbenzimidazole ‘nitazene’ opioids associated with human overdose

Featured Paper of the Month – February 2024
Published in Psychopharmacology by Grant Glatfelter and Michael Baumann et al. of the NIDA IRP Designer Drug Research Unit.

Our findings reveal that nitazenes are potent mu-opioid receptor agonists that induce opioid-like effects in mice. Importantly, we show that certain analogs (e.g., isotonitazene, etonitazene) are much more potent than fentanyl, portending serious risk of overdose and other adverse effects in humans who are exposed to the drugs.

Childhood Trauma, Emotional Awareness, and Neural Correlates of Long-Term Nicotine Smoking.

Hot Off the Press – January 30, 2024 Published in JAMA Network Open by Annika Quam and Amy Janes et al. from the NIDA IRP Cognitive and Pharmacological Neuroimaging Unit. Summary As a primary cause of preventable death, nicotine dependence remains a significant public health concern. While there are several medications that help people quit… [Read More]

Modeling methamphetamine use disorder and relapse in animals: Short- and long-term epigenetic, transcriptional., and biochemical consequences in the rat brain

Reviews To Read – January 2024. Published in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews by Khalid Elhadi, Atul P. Daiwile, and Jean Lud Cadet of the NIDA IRP Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Section. Methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) is very widespread in the world because methamphetamine is easy to make and cheap to buy. Heavy users usually take the drug… [Read More]

Technology Development Initiative – Paper of the Month – January 2024

Using a novel rapid alternating steering angles pulse sequence to evaluate the impact of theranostic ultrasound-mediated ultra-short pulse length on blood-brain barrier opening volume and closure, cavitation mapping, drug delivery feasibility, and safety Theranostics.

The current study from the Konofagou lab describes an advancement in FUS delivery parameters and instrumentation that allows the simultaneous opening and monitoring of BBB in two brain regions simultaneously. This preclinical study highlights new developments in FUS that expand its capabilities for safe, non-invasive gene and drug delivery to the brain for the potential treatment of neurological diseases. FUS may be a useful tool for evaluating therapeutics for substance use disorder.
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Anterior hypothalamic parvalbumin neurons are glutamatergic and promote escape behavior

Featured Paper of the Month – January 2024
Published in Current Biology by Brenton Laing and Yeka Aponte, et al. of the NIDA IRP Neuronal Circuits and Behavior Section.

Using techniques including in vivo functional imaging, behavioral paradigms, and neuronal tracing, Laing et al. investigated a small population of parvalbumin neurons in the anterior hypothalamic area (AHA^PV).

Technology Development Initiative – Paper of the Month – December 2023

Complete biosynthesis of cannabinoids and their unnatural analogues in yeast. Nature

The study and medicinal use of cannabinoids has been hampered by the legal scheduling of Cannabis, the low in planta abundances of nearly all of the dozens of known cannabinoids, and their structural complexity, which limits bulk chemical synthesis. Here we report the complete biosynthesis of the major cannabinoids cannabigerolic acid, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid, cannabidiolic acid, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabivarinic acid and cannabidivarinic acid in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, from the simple sugar galactose. Furthermore, we established a biosynthetic approach that harnessed the promiscuity of several pathway genes to produce cannabinoid analogues. Feeding different fatty acids to our engineered strains yielded cannabinoid analogues with modifications in the part of the molecule that is known to alter receptor binding affinity and potency [Read More]

Pharmacological and Physicochemical Properties Optimization for Dual-Target Dopamine D₃ (D₃R) and μ-Opioid (MOR) Receptor Ligands as Potentially Safer Analgesics.

Featured Paper of the Month – December 2023
Published in Journal of Medicinal Chemistry by Alessandro Bonifazi , Lily Saab and Amy Hauck Newman of the NIDA IRP Medicinal Chemistry Section.

The Newman Lab published a new generation of dual-target mu opioid receptor (MOR) agonists/dopamine D3 receptor (D3R) antagonists/partial agonists as potentially safer analgesics.

Technology Development Initiative – Paper of the Month – November 2023

The acceptability of overdose alert and response technologies: introducing the TPOM-ODART framework. Harm Reduct J

A TPOM-ODART framework, a model of overdose alert and response technologies (ODART) based on the existing health information technology TPOM dataset, was developed to better understand factors involved in harm reduction technology acceptability to people who use opioids (PWUO). Concerns of trust, readiness, accessibility, and capacity were found to be key factors in engaging and retaining PWUO in ODRAT interventions. [Read More]